Throwing Stones

Just in case I haven't mentioned it on my blog before, I hate politics. To the extent that I will leave the room if a discussion about it starts.

I personally believe that all the ads and stuff mean absolutely nothing. The ones saying "Vote for Me because..." are fluff. They say what we want to hear, so we'll elect them. Not that they can actually deliver what they promise, in most cases, without the backing of their Party, or the House, or Senate, or whoever else is involved.

Fluff.

Then there's the mudslinging, attack ads and smear campaigns. Taking snippets of past speeches and twisting them to fit their agenda. Pulling up old demons that have long been buried for the sole purpose of making the competition look bad.

More fluff.

How about just make yourself look better and leave it at that?

Ugh. I hate politics.

Then, how about we forget going after our competitor and go after their families instead? Yeah. That's SO much better.

I only bring all this up with the danger of starting a comments riot because I saw one of those attacks today. I was reading (for the first time) about Cindy McCain's past prescription drug addiction. So, it's over, it was years ago, it was a hard time for her and her family, so lets' just bring it back up and beat on her some more.

Usually, people like to hear about someone who is reformed.

Usually.

Unless you're in the public eye. Then they seem to want you to fail!

Apparently, if your husband (or wife) is in line for a big political seat, you'd better not have any skeletons in your closet either, because they're gonna be pulled out, dusted off, and put on display.

I'm not endorsing any candidate here. I'm simply making a point. Luke 6:37 says, "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults - unless, of course, you want the same treatment." (The Message)

If you were the spouse of a political candidate, what skeletons would the press dig out of your closet?

Right. We won't talk about those here, will we?

John 8:7: "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone."

Don't the rest of you just want to write all the newspapers and TV stations and remind them about throwing that first stone?

Regardless of the ability of politicians to push my buttons, I have to extend the same grace to them (and the press) that my Lord gives me. They may aggravate me to no end, but at the end of the day, if I can't step back and drop my stone instead of throwing it, I am no better than them.

Behavior like that is part of what gives Christians a bad name.

How about in this election year, we become the real change? We as children of God showing the world what that really means: love, forgiveness, mercy, acceptance and, of course, grace.

That might actually make me like politics.